Suarez, Henderson but no Firmino... Liverpool team of the decade revealed

It has been a decade of ups and downs for Liverpool Football Club.

The Reds were in the doldrums back in 2010, still under the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett and with Rafa Benitez departing the club and replaced by Roy Hodgson.

They'll start the new decade as European Champions and fighting to end a 30-year wait for a Premier League title.

In between there has been a change of ownership, several changes of manager, two title near misses and two trips to the Champions League final - with one of those being successful.

And there have been a lot of great players (and some pretty bad ones) along the way.

Our writers have picked their teams of the decade below - you can get involved by using the widget in the middle of the article and leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

'Henderson is captain for longevity and putting up with a lot of nonsense'

Ian Doyle: Some positions are a lot more straightforward than others in this selection.

And that there are so many from the current European champions stands to reason.

In fact, the present squad makes up almost all of the selection.

Alisson Becker is in goal, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip as the centre-backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson the full-backs, Fabinho in midfield and Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane up front.Here's where it gets a little controversial.

Luis Suarez must be in there - sorry Bobby - while I would also find room for Philippe Coutinho, whose final few months at Liverpool were among the best I've ever seen from a Reds attacking midfielder since the days of John Barnes.

That leaves one place in midfield. And, for sheer longevity, for being there for almost all the decade, for being the skipper and for putting up with an awful lot of nonsense from some supporters, I'm going with Jordan Henderson. He can also be the captain.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Coutinho; Salah, Suarez, Mane.

'Roberto Firmino overlooked'

Paul Gorst: The goalkeeper is a pretty easy one, it has to be Alisson Becker.

In defence, I'm going with Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back with Virgil van Dijk as my centre-back. Andy Robertson, perhaps inevitably, takes left-back.

he real quizzer is my second choice and after several consultations, I've gone for Daniel Agger, whose injury problems really dimmed what should have been a brilliant Anfield career. Special mention for Jamie Carragher, who retired three years into the decade.

My midfield three would have to be Fabinho, Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho - despite the manner of his exit to Barcelona.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are on their respective right and left flanks with the strongest of claims from Roberto Firmino overlooked, just, in favour of Luis Suarez.

My team of the decade: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Agger, Robertson; Fabinho, Gerrard, Coutinho; Salah, Mane, Suarez.

'Dejan does enough'

Theo Squires: In goal, Alisson. Easy. Pepe Reina was great but his form had gone to pot by the time the teenties came around and Alisson is the best goalkeeper I've ever seen play for Liverpool so it's a no-brainer.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are obvious choices at full-back too, especially when the alternatives are the likes of Glen Johnson and Alberto Moreno.

Virgil van Dijk is partnered by Dejan Lovren. It's such a tough call, that other centre-back role but look at the alternatives. Jamie Carragher was on the decline, Daniel Agger was always injured, Martin Skrtel was just there, turns out Mamadou Sakho was nowhere near as good as we originally thought and Joe Gomez and Joel Matip haven't done enough yet.

The Croatian just about does enough thanks to longevity. And that Borussia Dortmund winner, of course.

Jordan Henderson has to start in midfield. He's the only player to have been at the club for the entire decade and captained the Reds to a sixth European Cup so that's enough to clinch a spot.

Steven Gerrard just about sees off Fabinho to partner the current skipper. Although not at his best, he was still a driving force and had many memorable moments during the first half of the decade.

I've gone 4-2-3-1 to include all of the current front three, but that means there's no room for Phillipe Coutinho while Luis Suarez leads the line.

My team (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Gerrard; Salah, Firmino, Mane; Suarez

'Imagine what Suarez could do with Mane and Mo'

Sean Bradbury: Let's start with the easy bit. It simply has to be Liverpool's current first choice backline. That is a clear cut decision given the incredible defensive feats achieved last season - and just how much these two full-backs offer to the side. So Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson are in.

Midfield becomes a touch trickier. Fabinho has already done enough to warrant a place. He turns every 50-50 into an 80-20 and is so much more than a defensive shield. Philippe Coutinho gets the nod too. The little magician's magic provided too many memorable highlights to leave him out.

And while some may not agree, it is impossible to overlook Jordan Henderson. 339 games, 26 goals, nine seasons and one glorious Champions League win. He's out there with the armband to lift every trophy this team would win!

Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are certainties in attack. But finally - and this almost feels like sacrilege - Luis Suarez just edges out Roberto Firmino in the middle of the front three. Imagine what the Uruguayan could do with Mane and Mo alongside him. And I am refusing to cheat by going 4-2-3-1 to crowbar Firmino in.

James Milner is, naturally, the first substitute. Honourable mentions also go to Steven Gerrard, who was almost in despite the 2000s being his best years, as well as Daniel Agger, Gini Wijnaldum and Daniel Sturridge.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Coutinho; Salah, Suarez, Mane.

'Current front three the best.. but Suarez was a football genius'

Dan Kay: While there are plenty of big clubs who would be delighted to have had the decade of relative failure (in terms of lifting major trophies before May 2019) that Liverpool have, I could quite happily have named an XI from Jurgen Klopp's current squad as they are, on the whole, light years beyond what preceded them in the 2010s.

Defensively, the likes of Sakho, Johnson and Skrtel had periodic decent games/spells but nowhere near enough to dislodge any of the current back five. Sorry. Lovren gets the edge over Matip as he's been here since 2014 and has shown unbelievable resilience and strength of character to shake his own self-doubt - and the audible (and at times justified due to the Croat's occasionally haphazard performances) doubts of the Anfield crowd - to remain an important part of Klopp's squad.

Midfield-wise, I have to get Steven Gerrard in there as he might be Liverpool's greatest ever player, he carried the team (again) during the dark early years of the decade and came heartbreakingly close to dragging us to that holy grail of a championship in 2014. Jordan Henderson, in a similar vein to Lovren, has had to work hard to improve his game and his mental strength to prove the doubters wrong while Fabinho is simply the best defensive mid we've had since Mascherano and Hamann (and is possibly better than both).

The current front three of Salah, Firmino and Mane may well be the best in world football and, for me, is on a par with any Liverpool attacking triumvirate of the past. I am loathe to break them up but Suarez, for all the unsavoury aspects of his game/nature, was a football genius (and had a touch of the Van Dijks in his ability to make his team-mates better in the 2014 title tilt) so a nagging voice says he probably should be in there. But it's a toss of the coin job in terms of who to leave out.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Gerrard, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Suarez.